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Rail Trail, best known for its stunning »
scenery and dramatic railway trestles.
A gentler biking option is the 18.4.
kilometre.(11.4 mile) International
Bicycling and Hiking Trail. which
follows the Okanagan River through
farmland and desert, with access to
-wineries enroute. =>
- For mountain biking enthusiasts,
exploration of the trail network
around Kamloops or the lift-accessed *
bike parks at a number of the area's
mountain resorts, including Silver
Star Mountain Resort, Apex Mountain
Resort and Sun Peaks Resort proves
-arush,
. Fora real wild ride, adventurers can
take a stomach-churning, heart-
~ pounding excursion along the Adams
and Thompson rivers. Guided rafting -
can be had on these as well as the .
Fraser and Clearwater tivers.
To plan. your vacation — — where to go,
what to see and do, where to stay,
“plus printable maps to show you. ©
"how to get there — visit HelloBC.
_ comito/outdoor, og

; Where can adventurers golf and ski

- in the same day, hike to a waterfall

~ twice the height of Niagara; or cycle

through parkland, stopping at winer-

ies along the way? .

Best known for its sandy beaches on

warm blue lakes, year-round moun-

“s tain resorts, and more than 50 cham-.

. pionship golf courses, the Thompson,

~ Okanagan regions also hosts several
classes of white water, some of the
highest peaks in the Rockies, and

_hundreds of fishing lakes teeming _

-with’salmon and trout: es
Parks in the region offer everything ©
from beach-side picnics to multi-day

‘wilderness hikes. The largest is Wells

Gray Provincial Park, an hour north of .
_. Clearwater, off Highway 5. This vast

_’ area is home to the famous Helmcken
- Falls, Canada’s fourth largest

waterfall, as well as great canoeing,

.._ fishing, hiking, and rich populations

» of moose and mule deer...

~ ~The Spirit of 2010 Trail links four ‘

- multi-use paths, including the 455
“Kilometre (283 mile) K Kettle Valley

4

Where do you vacation when you already
live in the best place on earth?

Your ur Browince

There's no better place for: a summer vacation than right here. British Columbia offers
almost endless combinations of natural beauty, people and cultures. For outdoor ~
enthusiasts, B.C. is‘an awe-inspiring display of mountains, rivers and lakes, Ripe
vineyards, wide- -open plains and beaches that seem to stretch forever. This summer,
there really is no better place to explore than your home-British Columbia.

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>

For more information on special travel opportunities within B.C. and to order
your free BC Escapes’ Guides, call 1-800 HELLO BC or visit HelloBC.com

vr

BRITISH
COLUMBIA
The Best Place on Earth

- August 18 ~ 20°

|.” Okanagan Region, please visit HelloBC. com/to/events, .”

_ of British Columbia, Vancouver,
.Coast & Mountains proves a

_ mountain-backed city, visitors are

. tan pleasuresiciisi

- & Mountains has it all.

. From West Vancouver, the Sunshine

-ocean-fringed greenbelt. Artisan
‘studios provide ample distraction,

This nature paradise is a close and

“from West Vancouver to Whistler.

"Mining, a truly underground expe-

_ standing quard over the town.

_ showcases a rich, verdant valley

Festivals & Events
Thompson Okanagan

june 9-11
June 29 — July 1 4

# ” Lumby Days, Lumby "
Funtastic Summer Festival, Armstrong, Enderby,
Lumby & Vernon

. e

“July. 14-16 101st Annual Kelowna Regatta, Kelowna
July 11 -16 - Merritt Mountain Music Festival, Merritt
July 27 - 30 2006 BC Summer Games, Kamloops
August 4 - 6 Kamloopa Pow Wow Days, Kamloops
* August 5 - 6 Cornelius O'Keefe Days & Cowboy Festival,
en Spallumcheen-Vernon (O'Keefe Ranch) -
August 5 - 6 | _. Tulameen Family Days, Tulameen (Princeton) _

Okanagan Summer Wine Festival, Vernon
14th Annual Roots & Blues Festival, Salmon Arm
ironman Canada Triathlon, Penticton, 3°

August -10-12 -

August 27

For more information about Festivals & Events in the Thompson -

‘Gibsons, Sunshine Coast TOURISM Bemis COLUMBIA

The City, The Ocean,
| The. Mountains - What

More Does One Need?

" surrounded by both the Coast -
and Cascade mountains. Those up
~ for exploration can drive country
roads, pop in to farms to purchase
everything from organic goat _
cheese to succulent berries, stop
tantalized by its many cosmapali 1+. /atwineries.to chat with vintners, j
wand spend -the hight j ina family-run
B&Bs.

One shouldn't rush through the
Fraser Valley. For a taste of his-
tory, visitors should stop in at Fort
Langley or Trethewey House in Ab-
botsford, experience First Nations
heritage at Xa:ytem Longhouse
Interpretive Centre in Mission, play
golf and admire gorgeous gardens
near Chilliwack, fish in the Fraser
and Vedder Rivers, or take the kids
to Cultus Lake and Harrison Lake.
At Hope, visitors ogle the chainsaw
art before checking out the Othello
Tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Pro- .

- vincial Park, an engineering marvel
from rail-travel days. This hub ‘of
adventure also has gold rush and
fur.trading tales; and before travel-
lers head into the dramatic Fraser

Canyon, they should be sure to
stop in at the Yale Museum.
To learn more about the Vancouver,
Coast & Mountains Region and —

~ to get everything you need to
plan your vacation ~ where to go,
what to see and do, where to stay,
plus printable maps to show you .
how to get there - visit HelloBC. -
cormivem.

Tucked into the southwest comer .

region rich in bounty. Awed by
the beauty of the ocean-side and

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ait UO Hi -

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This whole, mild-cliiated region,

is one of extraordinary beauty,
eclectic activities and rich heritage. .
In every direction, Vancouver, Coast

The bordering municipalities of
Richmond and Burnaby have
abundant parkland. Adventurers
can cycle the dykes in Richmond
or go birding on the river estuary;
in Burnaby, one can play golf at
the foot of a mountain or stroll a
heritage village.

Coast is a short ferry ride to a lush,

and visitors can also hike or moun-
tain bike, and get out on the water
to fish, sail, kayak or sightsee.

friendly getaway from the city.

The spectacular Sea to Sky High-
way 99 winds its way along the
sparkling waters of Howe Sound

Enroute is the BC Museum of

rience in Britannia Beach. Further.
north in Squamish, train buffs can

‘admire the vintage railway cars
- and locomotives at the West Coast

Railway Heritage Park or take in
the expanse of the famed Stawa-
mus Chief, one of North America’s
premier rock climbing destinations,

Doubling tourism: The
Province has added $50 million .
to meet the goal of doubling
tourism by 2015. Projects
include cultural extravaganzas,
sport events and convention
centre upgrades.

Mighty Fraser Country, to the east,